Japan's Shingo Matsumoto emerged victorious at the Asia-Pacific Seniors Amateur Championship at Discovery Bay Golf Club last month after outlasting Andrew McKechnie of New Zealand in a gruelling sudden-death play-off.
Matsumoto, 60, made a solid par four on the sixth extra hole - the demanding third on the Diamond Course at the cliff-top Lantau course - to consign McKechnie, who could only bogey, to second place after the pair had tied in regulation play on a three-day total of five-over 218.
Overnight leader Gordon Claney of Australia finished a shot outside the play-off in solo third place, while the in-form Doug Williams, who won the Hong Kong Open Seniors Amateur Championship at Fanling the week before, tied for fourth, a further stroke adrift. Alan Sutcliffe, the long-time Hong Kong Golf Club member and Hong Kong international was on hand to present Williams with his eponymous salver, the prize for finishing as the leading Hong Kong player.
"Andrew is a great player and I was fortunate to come out on top," said Matsumoto, a two-time Japan Seniors Amateur champion. "But I'm very happy. It feels great to win after such a long battle and I feel very proud to have my name on the championship trophy."
Australia won the team event by two strokes from New Zealand on a total of 871. Japan placed third on 895, while Hong Kong picked up fifth spot on 936.
Kapil Dev, the legendary cricketing all-rounder, had a day to forget. The Indian started the day just a shot off the pace, but a lacklustre 80 meant he finished down the field in 13th.
The historic Asia-Pacific Senior Amateur Championship is an Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation event and was hosted in Hong Kong by the Hong Kong Golf Association for the third time.
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